Moments Alone
by Ellie
Summary: After a terrible argument, Ash and Misty part ways, only to find each other again later in life. I've revisited this fic completely, rewritten most chapters, added a ninth chapter! To me, the characters feel much more real now, hopefully you'll agree!
1. one: the argument

Moments Alone, Chapter One: The Argument

By Ellie, 2001, Revised 2007

The sun was setting behind the mountains and Ash could already feel a chill forming in the air. Misty and Brock were gone: Misty to the river to gather water for dinner, and Brock to the hills to exercise with their Pokemon. He was alone, except for Pikachu, and was starting to get cold. Remembering some brief wilderness training from Professor Oak, Ash built a small fire pit and attempted to ignite the brush by rubbing two sticks together. Frustration set in as time and again, sparks failed to fly. Ash was getting angry.

Misty, now returning with the pail of water and completely oblivious to Ash's frustration, merely giggled at his failure. She approached him and decided to seize the opportunity to make fun of him.

"You can't do anything right, can you, Ash?" she said, hands on her tiny hips, smirking at him.

She could almost see the fire in his eyes as he lifted his head. He was furious. Her smirk suddenly turned to a frown as she realized it might not have been such a good idea to make fun of him. "You know what, Misty?"

She shook her head in fear.

Ash stood up slowly. "I am downright sick and tired of you. All you ever do is put me down and make fun of me for the stupidest things. I have had enough! I don't see you doing anything to help out! At least I'm trying!"

That struck a nerve for Misty. Her fear quickly turned to rage. "Excuse me? Who caught the fish for dinner last night? Who washed your clothes this morning? Who cleaned off the breakfast dishes? Who gathered that wood you're trying to make into a fire?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"It wasn't you, was it?" He shook his head. "And it wasn't Brock, was it?" He shook his head again. "Who does that leave, now, Ash Ketchum?" she almost shrieked.

"You, I guess," he mumbled, turning his back towards her to face his failed attempt at a fire.

"THAT'S RIGHT! It was me! I do my fair share around here, so don't you ever say that again!" she warned.

A pause set in and Ash did his best to re-collect himself. When he finally did, whipped around and said, "That doesn't change the fact that I'm sick of you making fun of me!"

"Okay, so? You've done your fair share of making fun of me!" she retorted.

"That's in defense!"

"Don't even! The number of times you've been rude to me with out me starting anything is ridiculous!" she yelled, pointing her finger at him.

"That's not true! You make fun of me more than I make fun of you! You're just mean, Misty!" She could feel his argument wavering, and his uncertainty was plainly visible in his expression.

"I am not! You're just a little wimp, Ash! I can't help but make fun of you." She stated plainly, taking one step closer to him.

"I AM NOT A WIMP!" Ash took a step closer to her, as well.

"What's the matter Ash, afraid to be picked on by a girl?" she teased, leaning in.

"No, I'm NOT!" he shouted. Misty jumped back in surprise. He sounded hurt, but this only frustrated her more. "If you're supposed to be my friend, you shouldn't be acting like this at all!"

"Who ever said we were friends?!" She shouted back, throwing her hands in the air and taking a few steps back from the situation. Were they really fighting like this? A deadening silence set in between them, the air felt heavy and thick. Misty breathed heavily, her heart was pounding, back turned towards him. She heard a soft crumpling of leaves behind her. Ash was approaching her slowly.

"Then why do you keep following me around?" he asked, his voice an angry whisper.

Misty whipped around, her face bright red with anger and frustration. "Because you broke my bike, you moron!!"

The statement sounded strange to them both. The power of her voice echoed through the hills around them. As her own anger reverberated in her ears, Misty regretted her outburst immediately.

Ash glared at her. "That's one dumb reason, Misty. I can't believe you're still saying that after all this time."

"Well, it's true! Do you know how much a bike costs?" She covered, her tone significantly less forceful, and her face now flushed with embarrassment.

"Fine, Misty! Since it's only about the bike, why don't you just go home?!" Misty looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head slightly. His anger only escalated as he barked, "I'll send you your money for the damn thing soon enough! JUST GO HOME!"

Misty stiffened as her body flooded with sickening emotion. She couldn't tell which emotion it was: pain, fear, sadness, or regret. She shook her head as she fought back the tears. Taking a deep breath, she looked up. "Fine." She picked up her bag. "Goodbye, Ash," she said coldly.

And with that, she walked away, with Togepi in her arms.

That was the last time he saw her.


	2. two: misty's new profession

Moments Alone, Chapter 2, "Misty's New Profession"

By: Ellie

2001, Revised 2007

Author's notes: Here's a revised version of Chapter two. This chapter took a lot of changes, mainly because the earlier versions hadn't felt real to me. Hopefully, I've added some humanity to these characters, and a little more depth to Misty. Enjoy!

6 Years Later

"Having defeated the Indigo League, the Orange League, the Jhoto League, the Amazon League, and most recently, the Sundance League, 18 year-old trainer Ash Ketchum is on his way to even more success. The young man has collected enough badges to enter the sixth and final Pokemon League, the Mahogany League. Accompanied by his faithful, yet unevolved Pikachu and his traveling partner Brock, a Pokemon breeder, Ash is a favorite for the win. If he were to triumph and defeat the four element masters Ash would not only win the Mahogany League, he would walk away with the title of Pokemon Master,' a title not to be taken lightly. Not only does this title mean that Ash has caught all 350 Pokemon known to exist, but also that he has triumphed over each existing League on the planet. I would like to wish you good luck in your upcoming battles, Ash, from myself and the rest of the team here at TV 12. We'll be rooting for you!"

With the press of a button, the television screen turned to grey and a familiar electrostatic zap could be heard. A young woman sat back on the couch opposite the television set with a sigh. A slightly sour expression graced her young features.

"Mm," the young woman sitting next to her said. "That Ash Ketchum… he just keeps getting cuter and cuter."

"Don't remind me, Beryl," she replied, pushing her fire red hair off her forehead.

"So tell me again, Misty, why you ever left that dish of a man?" Beryl asked her.

"He wasn't a man when I left," Misty murmured. "And I guess I didn't really leave, per say… he pushed me away." She looked at her fingernails, her shiny hair now covering her eyes.

"It still stings, doesn't it?" her friend asked as she delicately tucked Misty's hair behind her ear.

"Damn right," Misty said softly, looking up at her friend.

"Well, you've just got to tell me what happened," a voice called from another room. A third woman entered the room, and sat herself down in a chair across from Misty and Beryl. "I hate being in the dark."

"Vesta," Beryl said with a hiss, "I don't think she wants to discuss this right now."

"Really? It's that bad? Are you ok, Myst?" Vesta's expression had quickly changed from inquisitive to concerned, and she moved to sit on the couch on the other side of Misty.

Misty smiled at her. "Of course I am, it was ages ago. I don't think about it much anymore. Especially since I met you guys. It's just… those feelings never really died, and they tend to rear their ugly heads every now and then."

Vesta flipped her shiny blonde hair over her sholder and grabbed Misty's hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Good God. This is ridiculous. I'm fine," Misty released herself from Vesta's grip and stood up quickly. "I'm gonna have a snack."

Beryl and Vesta looked at each other with concern as Misty marched out of the living room and into the kitchen. Simultaneously, they snapped up and followed her.

Misty slumped down in a kitchen chair with half of a pomegranate and started to pick at its seeds. A fourth young woman, standing at the stove, smiled at her.

"I'm making tofu scramble, do you want some?" the woman asked, shaking a frying pan with her right hand.

Misty smiled at her. "Thanks, Silvia, but that sounds just a little too healthy for me."

Silvia laughed as Beryl and Vesta made their way into the kitchen. "And I suppose that pomegranate counts as junk food?"

"Guess not. But it tastes sweet," Misty said, picking at the tiny, jewel-like seeds of the fruit.

Beryl sat down in the seat next to Misty. "Listen, Sweetie," she said softly. "You're not going to be able to avoid this for much longer."

Misty looked away from her, to Vesta poking at the tofu scramble as Silvia slapped her hand. She smiled involuntarily, considering the wonderful friendship these four women had been able to form over the last few years. She hadn't thought of Ash often, but when she did, pangs of guilt overcame her. Supressing her feelings were easier when he wasn't on television every other day.

"Can't we just pretend none of this is happening? For a little while longer?" Misty asked, her voice barely audible over the sizzles and pops coming from the stovetop.

Beryl conceded with a small smile. "Sure."

"Thanks, B," Misty said, putting the fruit down to hug her friend. As Beryl patted her on the back, the sizzling stopped.

Vesta and Silvia sat down across from them, each of them with a plate of tofu scramble. "Everything ok?" Silvia asked, unaware of the current topic of conversation.

"Everything will be just fine," Beryl said, pulling away from the hug, and regarding Misty. "We're just going to pretend for a while that we're not who we are, and that there's no reason why the ghosts of our past would begin to resurface in say… a week and a half."

Silvia's brow furrowed in thought, as Vesta sent a nod and look of understanding across the table to her red-haired friend.

Silvia dropped her fork, letting it crash upon the table loudly. "This is about Ash, isn't it?"

"Silvia," Beryl said with warning.

Silvia's head snapped to look at Beryl. "I'm sorry, B, but I just don't think that ignoring the truth is the right thing to do." She picked up her fork again, and shoveled in a mouthful of tofu scramble. Misty stared at her as she chewed.

"Silvia, she's obviously hurting here. What's the harm in letting her forget about it for a few more days?" Vesta asked.

Silvia swallowed. "The harm is," she turned her fork towards Misty, using it as a pointer, "That this sort of behavior is completely unlike Misty. The Misty I know is one of the toughest fighters on this planet, both on the battlefield and in life. When have you ever seen her cower away from anything like this?"

"Silvia," Misty started, her voice weak.

"No, Misty. This is so unlike you," her voice had softened slightly, and her gaze was focused on Misty. "I know it must hurt. You've told me before how guilty you feel when you think back to the last argument you and Ash had. But you can't run away from the truth that the two of you have to face each other again. It was going to happen sooner or later, you know that. And now you don't have a choice. The two of you are going to look each other into the eye again next week. And before you do, you're going to have to decide whether it's going to be as friends or as enemies."

Misty buried her face in her hands. She could feel the stickiness of the pomegranate adhere to her skin and hair slightly, but ignored it in favor of the darkness this protection provided. Her eyes began to sting as the truth behind Silvia's words sank in. She was right, ignoring the truth was unlike her.

Silvia continued, "and as your friend, I think we both know that it's not going to be enemies."

Misty felt Beryl's hand on her back, tracing soothing circles, as she raised her head to look at her friends. Vesta and Beryl had identical looks of concern on their faces, while Silvia looked at her fiercely.

"You know I'm right," Silvia said.

Misty nodded. "Yeah. I know."

Silvia smiled. "That's my girl."

"And you're gonna beat him next week, either way, aren't you?" Beryl, offered, grinning at her.

Misty laughed through the few tears that had taken residence in her eyes, "Of course!"

"Yeah, I'd bet Ash will have no idea what hit him when he steps up to battle you," Vesta added.

"Or any of us. But then again, nobody ever knows what hit them after a battle with the Mahogany Four," Misty said, a smile on her face.

The girls grinned. "We are magnificent," Silvia said, batting her eyes.

The table broke out in laughter, and the conversation began to shift to some of the other challengers they were going to face in the coming weeks. Misty began to daze, her thoughts lingering on Ash and what she would say to him. Would the unmistakable attraction between them become a factor? Or will that have disappeared completely over the years? The only thing she could be certain of was her confidence in herself. She'd come a long way over the years since she'd left Ash, and was proud of who she had become. Her training had been fierce and effective: she was youngest-ever member of the Mahogany Four, and was nearly unbeatable on the playing field. If Ash was all he was hyped up to be, the battle between them was sure to be epic. And maybe, just maybe, she thought, what went on between them off the playing field would be epic as well.

Continued in Chapter Three!


	3. three: moonlight memory

Moments Alone, Chapter 3: "A Moonlight Memory"

By Ellie

2001, Revised 2007

One Week Later

Eighteen-year-old Ash Ketchum sat on his grandmother's porch in the Mahogany Valley, staring at the stars, and holding his beloved Pikachu. It was a beautiful night, with stars brighter than he'd seen in a long time. Probing the depths of his memories, Ash did his best to remember the last time he'd seen stars so beautiful. It hit him like a punch to the stomach. It had been the night of his twelfth birthday, just a few short months before she left. She had wanted him to have a special birthday for once, rather than the traditional pie that Brock made. Not that the pie wasn't delicious, it just got rather tiresome after Ash's birthdays, Misty's birthdays, Brock's birthdays, even Pikachu's birthdays. Ash never really knew why she went out of her way to do that for him, and he scolded himself for not thinking about it more when she was still around. Maybe he would have realized just why exactly she had been there after all that time.

Ash was yet to have a birthday top that one. She had somehow managed to get rid of Pikachu, Togepi, and Brock for the day, discreetly of course. The three left at dawn to get to a Pokemon Center to get check-ups and "help Nurse Joy." The day was left just for them. They spent it around a beautiful pond, fishing and laughing, and sharing a scrumptious picnic lunch Brock had stayed up all night preparing. She taught him several very useful fishing tips, and they both managed to catch a new water Pokemon: Misty caught a Seel, and Ash caught a Goldeen. While their Pokemon played in the pond, the pair shared Brock's Birthday Pie, with twelve candles stuck in it. When it started to get dark, the newly caught Pokemon went back to their Pokeballs, and Ash and Misty laid out on the hill. As the stars began to appear, they talked about everything and nothing. But just as they were about to head back to camp, Ash concluded that the stars were more beautiful than he had ever seen.

He told this to Misty, who just smirked and said, "You know, Ash, one of my sisters once told me that the night that the stars are shining brightest for you is the night you know you're headed in the right direction." She took his hand in hers, hoping he would understand her gesture.

But, he didn't, and he would regret it for a very long time.

Suddenly, Ash's train of thought was interrupted by the front door slamming shut. Brock had come outside to join him. The 22-year old man sat down in the rocking chair to Ash's left and made himself comfortable.

"Hey," Ash said quietly.

"Hi… wow, it's a beautiful evening," Brock said, looking up. "Gorgeous."

"Yeah," Ash replied. "I don't think I've ever seen the stars so bright."

"Oh, I have. Once."

"When was that, Brock?" Ash questioned, hoping to test Misty's theory.

"Actually, the night after I left home to journey with you and Misty," He answered, watching for Ash's reaction to her name.

Ash looked down to the floor. "They were bright that evening, weren't they? I had almost forgotten. But then again, I didn't really notice much when I was a kid. I missed out on a lot."

"Don't blame yourself, Ash," Brock replied, understanding what he was talking about. "You were young, and headstrong. Everybody's like that at that age."

"Misty wasn't," he said quietly, staring at his feet.

"She was older than you, Ash, and naturally, more mature. Don't blame yourself."

"Well, who am I supposed to blame it on? Her? I was the one that pushed her away! I was the one who made her leave. If only I hadn't been so stubborn," he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed for his actions.

"Ash, all I can tell you is, what's done is done. Maybe after you get through with the Mahogany League, you can head back to Cerulean and find her," Brock suggested.

"Yeah, I guess. I'll go find her after the Mahogany League," Ash repeated. "Now, I have to focus on the battles at hand."

"Exactly. Go get some sleep, and get an early start tomorrow. This is the big one, you know."

"Tell me about it," Ash said, standing up. He lifted up Pikachu gently into his arms and turned to Brock again. "Thanks, Brock."

"No problem," He replied with a smile as he opened the door for Ash and Pikachu. "Sleep well."

"'Night," he said softly as he entered the old house.

As he walked through the entryway, he heard water running and the sounds of dishes being washed. His grandmother was cleaning up after the dinner she'd made them, and realized he'd never offered to help her. He set the sleepy Pokemon in his arms on a couch in her parlor, and entered the kitchen.

"Want some help, mom-mom?" He asked, touching her shoulder gently.

She smiled at her grandson, and nodded to a towel hanging on the oven handle. "You can dry them."

"Alright, then," he said, picking up the towel.

Ash and his grandmother were quiet for a while, as they established a rhythym between them. She stole a glance at him each time she passed a dish along, and it didn't take him long to notice. On the next pass, he looked at her back. She slowed down and smiled.

"What's up. Mom-mom?" he asked, smiling back.

"Oh, nothing, Ash. I'm just happy you're here. And I'm so proud of you," she said, washing up the last dish in her pile.

"Thanks," he said. "I'm so glad to see you too. I've missed you."

She passed him the last dish, now clean, and he proceeded to dry it and put it away. After draining the water in the sink, she sat down at the table, and motioned for him to sit across from her.

"Your mother should be arriving tomorrow afternoon," she said, starting conversation.

"That's great. But I think Brock and I need to head over there pretty early tomorrow. Maybe you and mom can meet us at the stadium when she gets here?"

"That sounds fine. We'll give you a call either way. I know she'll be eager to see you," his grandmother said, eyeing her grandson.

"I'm eager to see her, too. I hate to be away from her so much, but it's what I needed to do. And soon, I'll be able to go home and settle down. After all, once I've passed the Mahogany League, I'll have made it," he said, his voice a little dreamy.

His grandmother smiled and nodded to him. "You've done well, sweetheart. You should be proud."

He smiled back to her. "Thanks, mom-mom. It means a lot." His grandmother looked away in thought, and the conversation hit a lull. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her after several seconds of silence.

"You'll be settling down, you say? Will you go to Palette Town?"

"Maybe."

"Do you have a girlfriend there?" she asked, smirking at him slightly.

Ash shook his head no.

"Anywhere?" Ash smiled back at her. His grandmother wasn't usually one to pry, but he could understand her motivation.

"Maybe, mom-mom. There's a girl who should be in Cerulean City that I knew a few years back. I've been thinking about her a lot lately."

She took his hand in hers and patted it gently. "She sounds lovely. After the League, I'd like to meet her."

"I'll let you know how it goes."

"You should get to bed, my dear. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow," she said, releasing his hand.

Ash stood up and gave his grandmother a kiss. "Goodnight, mom-mom."

"Goodnight, Ash."

As he climbed the stairs to the bedroom, Pikachu in his arms once again, Ash couldn't get his mind off of Misty. It would just be a few more weeks until he could see her again. His stomach leaped in anticipation, though he knew he had a lot to do until then. Trying his best to concentrate on the matches ahead, Ash crawled into bed. The next days would hold many surprises for the young man, he was sure. As he drifted off to sleep, the smiling face of the red-headed girl once again penetrated his thoughts. With a sigh, Ash turned over in his bed, and resigned to allow himself to think about her, if just for one night.

To be continued in Chapter Four!


	4. four: dear angie

Moments Alone, Chapter 4: "Dear Angie"

By Ellie, 2001

The Opening Day of the Mahogany League Challenge

"Good Morning, I'm Angie Parrish reporting live for TV 12 from the Mahogany League Complex in the Mahogany Valley. Today marks the beginning of the Annual Mahogany League Challenge, a test for Pokemon trainers who have collected at least six badges from certified Mahogany Gyms throughout the area, and who are ready to face the element masters. By defeating the Mahogany Four, masters of Fire-Type Pokemon, Water-Type Pokemon, Grass-Type Pokemon, and Rock-Type Pokemon, the trainer receives a Mahogany badge, verifying that he or she has defeated the League. This year's hopeful trainers include Constance Brown, a 14-year-old from Amazon City; Joanna Jett, a 13-year-old from The Orange Islands; Paul West, an 11-year-old from Oakland County; Gwendelyn Brown, a 13-year-old from Amazon City; Louwan Tapia, a 16-year-old from Cherrygrove City; Aiden Brett, a 13-year-old from Sundance Township; and finally, Ash Ketchum, an 18-year-old from Pallet Town. This is the first League Challenge for Paul, Aiden, and Joanna, but I'm sure that there will be more in the future. Both Constance and Gwendelyn, sisters from Amazon City, have triumphed over the Amazon League and the Orange League, and are going for the Mahogany to make it three. Back to you, Ben."

"Alright, Angie, that's a wrap. Nice job," the camera man stated, letting the large camera slide off his shoulder into his hands.

"Thanks," the reporter replied as she picked up a water bottle that had been sitting inside the TV 12 van. "I was really nervous. I still haven't gotten used to this 'live broadcast' thing."

"Ang, honey, you were great. And you've just started for pete's sake. You've gotta give these things some time," he reassured her, touching her shoulder. "You're swell, kid."

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Joe," she replied as her gaze was caught by someone over Joe's shoulder. "Isn't that…? It's Ash Ketchum! C'mon, let's tape an interview."

Joe chuckled. "So much for being nervous."

"Mr. Ketchum! Mr. Ketchum! Excuse me, Mr. Ketchum?" Angie shouted, racing over to where he and Brock were walking.

Ash heard her call and turned her way. He smirked at the sight of the frantic reporters, rushing to talk to him. "Good morning," he said smugly.

"Good morning, Mr. Ketchum. I'm Angie Parrish, and this is Joseph McIntyre; we're from the TV 12 News Team. We were wondering if you would be willing to tape a short interview before you get ready to compete?" she asked politely.

"Well, Ms. Parrish, I've been getting ready to compete for quite some time now," he said flirtatiously.

Angie blushed as she fought back a smile. "I'm sure, Mr. Ketchum. Perhaps I should rephrase…"

Ash smiled. "Not necessary, Ms. Parrish. I understand. And I'd be delighted to do an interview for you."

"Wonderful!" Angie said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "Ready, Joe?"

Brock, clearing his throat, finally made his presence known. Angie looked up in surprise. She had not noticed the man before.

"Oh, dear, I apologize. Your name is?" she said politely.

"Brock. And all I'd like to know is if you'd like me to move for your shot or not," he said with detectable harshness in his tone of voice.

"No, dear no. Please, Brock. You can both be in the shot. You're Mr. Ketchum's traveling partner, correct?" Brock nodded. "Then of course you're in the shot!"

"Okay, then," Brock sighed.

Ash smirked at Brock's attitude. "Are we ready then?" he asked.

"Indeed," Angie replied.

"Let's get this show on the road, already, then," Joe mumbled. "In three--- two--- ONE!"

"Hello, I'm Angie Parrish outside the Mahogany League Complex in the Mahogany Valley. I'm here with Ash Ketchum, and his traveling partner, Brock. Good morning, gentlemen," she said to them. They nodded back. "Mr. Ketchum, you've got a major title coming up, assuming you defeat the Mahogany Four. Any apprehension today?"

"Not at all, Ms. Parrish. My Pokemon and I have been training and practicing non-stop for the past several weeks. I'm confident about these upcoming battles."

"How about your Dewgong? I understand you have had troubles with this Pokemon's behavior in the past. Are you going to be using Dewgong in competition?"

"I'm hoping to, yes. A large portion of the training exercises were centered around Dewgong's behavior. I believe that it's made some major progress and is ready for battle."

"Can you add any insight, Brock? I understand you're a Pokemon breeder, what's your opinion on Dewgong's behavior?" Angie asked, doing her best to include Brock in the interview.

"I, as well, feel that Dewgong has risen above it's previous behavioral problems. When Ash first caught the Pokemon, it was as stubborn as ever. But as with many of his Pokemon, Ash has been able to help them into a trusting relationship in battle and everyday life. I'm sure Dewgong will come through for Ash, should he decide to use it in his upcoming matches," Brock said, proud of his statements.

Angie nodded. "Wonderful. Ash, if you do win--

"When, Ms. Parrish. When I win. We're going for positivity here," Ash smirked.

Angie giggled. "Okay, then, when you win all four matches and receive the title of Pokemon Master, what do you plan to do?"

"In the future you mean?"

"Yes. Or, right after you win. Any party plans?"

"None, Ms. Parrish."

"Why is that?" Angie asked, slightly taken aback.

"I'm going to need a good night's sleep. The next morning, I plan on heading to Cerulean City to find someone I've missed for a long time," Ash explained with a sentimental smile.

"That sounds wonderful. Well, Mr. Ketchum, good luck in your matches, and the team at TV 12 will be rooting for you!"

"Thank you very much," Ash said gratefully.

"This is Angie Parrish, signing off."

"AND- Cut! That's a wrap. You're good, Angie," Joe smiled.

"Thanks, Joe," she grinned. "Mr. Ketchum, thank you very much for the interview," she said as she shook his hand. She reached for Brock's hand as she said, "Same to you, Brock. It was nice meeting you both."

"You're welcome, Ms. Parrish, It was nice meeting you as well," Brock said.

"Good luck!" She shouted as she and Joe headed back to the van.

"Well, that was interesting," Ash mused as the reporters moved out of earshot. "What was with the attitude, Brock?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he covered.

"Ah, come on!"

"Fine! It's just… all the girls love you now a days! How's a guy like me supposed to compete with hot-shot Ash Ketchum, soon to be Pokemon Master?"

"He's not. Don't you have a girl waiting for you back home?" Ash reminded him.

"That's not the point! It's the idea. They don't even notice me when you're around."

"I'd bet Suzie's thankful for that," Ash chuckled.

Brock paused, in an attempt to change the subject. "You realize now that you've made mention of Misty on television, all the girls in the world are going to wonder who exactly this mystery woman from Cerulean City is, and how they can become her overnight," Brock pointed out.

Ash laughed. "Geez, Brock. It's not that bad. Besides, they'll probably think it's romantic or something mushy like that."

"And, they'll just love you more for it. GOD! Why me?"

Ash laughed loudly at his friend's ridiculous distress as they approached the Mahogany Complex's main entrance.


	5. five: behind the glass doors

Moments Alone, Chapter 5, "Behind the Glass Doors"

By Ellie, 2001, Revised 2007

Ash and Brock neared the huge glass doors of the Mahogany complex, eyes wide with curiosity. Pikachu had taken its place on Ash's shoulder once again, a position the Pokemon took less and less often as it and its trainer got older. While Pikachu still possessed the same spunk and energy that it did when Ash was a boy, the position seemed somewhat inappropriate now that they were both older. This situation was different. It was Ash and Pikachu's last league championship, so it seemed somehow fitting for the Pokemon to be sitting on his shoulder once again. And so, the pair walked through the doors, with Brock close behind.

They found themselves in a large, bustling lobby that had elevators and doors that surely led every which way. Directly ahead of them was a long front desk, with a perky Nurse Joy standing behind it. There was a short line under the "REGISTRATION" sign that hung from the ceiling. The trio quickly moved to the end of the line. "This is it, I guess," Brock mused, looking towards the Joy behind the desk.

Ash rolled his eyes. "You're not oogling over Joy, are you? I could have sworn you told me you were over her."

Brock's head snapped back to look at Ash. "Of course I'm over Joy. Over Joy- overjoyed- ha!"

Instead of laughing, Ash merely stared back at Brock, shaking his head. "You're a helpless case, you know that?"

"I'm hopelessly devoted to Suzie, Ash. All other women pale in comparison to her."

"Well, that's nice to know." Ash looked up at the diagram that hung behind the registration desk. "Do you suppose that's a map of the complex?"

"Huh? Oh, that? Hmm," He murmured as he examined the diagram from afar. "It looks that way. Yes, I think it is. See? There are four stadiums, one for each of the Mahogany Four. There's a picture of each of them next to the corresponding stadium."

Ash nodded and examined the diagram further. They were laid out in a circle. The registration building, where they were standing at that moment, was at the bottom. Then counter-clockwise to the right was the grass stadium, then the rock stadium, the fire stadium, and lastly, the water stadium. Next to each stadium, the diagram displayed a photo of the corresponding element master, all women. The grass element master had long, wavy brown hair and an elegant face. The rock master was a short with cropped dark brown hair, and the fire master was thin with stick-straight blond hair. The picture of the water-element master threw Ash off guard.

"Brock, look at that water-element master's picture," Ash said, his voice low.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Tell me she doesn't look just like Misty."

"She doesn't look just like Misty," he said after taking a quick glance.

"Look again, Brock. You can't say she doesn't even resemble her," Ash stated.

Ash gazed at the photo. She looked to be about 20, was definitely the youngest of the four, and had fire-red hair in a sophisticated cut that reached just beyond her clavicles. Brock looked again, then sighed. "Okay, I'll admit. She does resemble her. But that's all! You haven't seen her since she was thirteen or fourteen. That was what? Seven or eight years ago?"

"It was only six years ago."

"Still, Ash, six years is a real long time," Brock said, staring at the young man. "It can't be her. What on earth would she be doing in the Mahogany League?"

"We're here, aren't we?" Ash quipped.

"Ash, being here to compete is a whole lot different than being an one of the four element masters in the Mahogany League. And besides, to be perfectly honest, I doubt Misty would be at such a high level at this point in her life that she could even be considered for a position like that. Do you know how many challenges and battles a trainer has to go through to qualify for such a status? I'm sure every one of these women trained constantly from the day they turned ten in their specified field. And I know for a fact that Misty didn't do that. She traveled around with us for like, four years or something. There's no way. She's too young."

"I guess so," Ash sighed, his ounce of hope suddenly squashed. "I didn't realize how hard it is to earn a position like that one."

"Right. And about the resembelence, she could be one of Misty's relatives. They're whole family's into the water thing, you know? She's probably an older cousin," Brock mused, hoping to come up with an answer for Ash.

"I sure wish they'd post the names under the pictures…" Ash mumbled. "Oh, and Brock? Misty only traveled around with us for two years."

"Oh, really? Seemed longer," Brock said as the person in line in front of them finished their registration and moved out of line.

Nurse Joy set her eyes on Ash and grinned. "Hello, Ash!" she exclaimed giddily.

"Uh, hi Nurse Joy," He said, confused. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I've heard all about you on the news! They keep doing specials on all the Pokemon trainers who have signed up for the Mahogany League. They've said more about you than the others, of course, seeing as this is your last League challenge!" She replied.

"Cool, I hope mom taped them all," Ash laughed.

Nurse Joy smiled. "Your mom sure has a nice son to be proud of," she said, her voice suddenly syrupy. Before Ash could reply, she straightened herself up and said, "Well! Let's get you registered!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, obviously excited. It had stayed quiet during the young men's conversation, seeing as contributing was quite a hassle, because Ash had to translate every thing Pikachu said for Brock.

"I'll take your Pokedex, please," Nurse Joy said. Ash handed it to her. She slid it into the machine and Ash's profile instantly popped up. She looked up to continue. "Okay, Ash, heads or tails?"

"Huh?"

"Choose- heads or tails. The computer is going to flip a coin for you," she explained.

"Aah, okay. I get it. Um… I'd have to go with… Tails," he said finally. The virtual coin came up on the screen and began to spin rapidly. It stopped spinning on heads.

"Heads!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "That means you'll travel around the complex counterclockwise. Now choose a number between one and four."

"Three," he said, without hesitation.

"Okay, then! You'll be starting in the Grass Stadium. Your first match will be four o' clock this afternoon. Your other matches will be determined later on, and will be dependent on which trainers win and which lose this afternoon's matches. Here's your number," she said, handing him a button displaying a number four, "and here's your Pokedex. Make sure you attend the opening ceremonies at two this afternoon."

"Wouldn't miss it," Ash smiled.

"Wonderful. If you'd like, the Pokemon center here is offering free checkups and grooming on all the Pokemon you're planning to compete with. After I'm done explaining the rules, you may leave those Pokemon with me," She explained as if she'd said it many times before. "The rules are simple- no cheating is allowed, and the Element Masters make their own separate rules. The Element Master's separate rules apply only within the stadium in which they are dictated to you, but the no cheating rule applies throughout. The Element Master will dictate the rules and what actions are considered cheating to you before the match begins, and you are expected to follow them to the letter. Do you understand these guidelines I have recited to you?"

"I do," Ash replied.

"Sign here please," Nurse Joy said, placing a document and pen in front of Ash. He signed on the dotted line.

"Thank you very much!" She said, her voice now giddy, rather than professional. "I'll take your Pokemon now, if you'd like."

"Please," He said, handing her his Pokeballs. "Pikachu, you up for a checkup and a good grooming?"

"Pikachuu!" It said happily. The Pokemon jumped off Ash's shoulders and into Nurse Joy's arms.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!"

"You're welcome! See you this afternoon!"

They waved goodbye to the nurse and Pikachu and headed out to explore, Ash holding hopes that he'd be able to find out the name of the red-headed water Element Master…

Continued in Chapter Six!


	6. six: yessir, that's my misty

Moments Alone, Chapter 6, "Yessir, That's My Misty"

By Ellie, 2001, Revised 2007

Just before Two O'clock PM, June 6th

Mahogany League Opening Ceremonies

Backstage

Misty sat at a computer console in the dressing room behind the main stage. Her foot was rapidly tapping on the floor and her hands were shaking. She didn't understand why this was making her so nervous. She clicked on the registration files. It's not like she was going to do something stupid when she saw him. At least she hoped she wouldn't. The registration folder popped up, with Ash's name first. With a deep breath in as an attempt to calm herself, she double clicked on his name. His picture came up on the screen, as well as his profile. It was information she had seen before, nothing new or surprising. Hurriedly, she pulled to the end of the page to find out when his first battle would be. She fell back in relief at the sight of 'Grass Stadium, 4:00 PM' next to his "Battle #1" slot. This meant he would not battle her till last. In a way, it was a good thing. She could avoid him as long as possible. But then again, it was a bad thing. She would avoid him for as long as possible. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Or was it?

In confusion and frustration, the young woman hit the shutdown button on the computer unit and got up from her chair. Due to her indecisiveness, Misty began to pace throughout the room. This piqued the interests of her friends.

"Myst, what's the matter?" Vesta asked sweetly.

"Maybe you should sit down, Misty," Beryl suggested.

She did as she was told. "I'm just getting nervous now."

"Oh no. No you don't," Silvia said, joining the huddle of women, her gaze fixed on Misty.

"He's battling you first, Silvia. Today, at four," Misty said quietly.

"So?" Vesta asked, confused.

"That means I don't battle him until four days from now," Misty said flatly.

"Is that… good?" Beryl said, unsure what to make of Misty's tone.

"It's fine," Silvia said, seriously. "Not ideal, but it'll have to do."

"And what would be ideal, exactly?" Beryl asked forcefully, looking at Silvia.

"It would be better for her to see him sooner, obviously."

"Why?" Vesta asked.

"To get the whole thing over with, so she can concentrate!" Silvia snapped. "Maybe she should go see him, and get the confrontation over with."

"Maybe she should figure things out on her own," Beryl retorted, to which Silvia answered with a glare.

"It's fine, B," Misty said quietly. "She's right."

"So you'll go see him? Is that even allowed?" Vesta wondered out loud.

"Oh, I never thought of that. Is it allowed? I mean, we're not supposed to go to the Trainer's Compound, right?" Beryl asked.

"I don't think it much matters, what we're not supposed to do," Silvia started, her tone softened. "We make the rules, you know. We can change them."

Misty's mind began to race as she phased out of her friends' conversation. What if she did see him, and he hated her as much as he had the day she left? Or what if it was exactly opposite, and the two of them were best of friends again… or more? How would it be to battle the person she'd fostered secret feelings for since she'd been fourteen? This could ruin the match for either of them, especially if he did something stupid and let his feelings get in the way of his performance. She could tell herself _she_ wouldn't do something like that, but even she couldn't be sure she wouldn't let her guard down and let her emotions impair her performance. The situation was troubling, especially since she hadn't faced a true friend in years, except in practice with the other members of the Mahogany Four.

"Myst," said Silvia quietly. "You've got to decide what to do on your own. We've butted in enough. I'm sorry if we're making things worse for you."

"You're not, of course you're not," she said genuinely. "I appreciate your input, always, but you're right. I'm going to have to do this alone."

"But _after_ the opening ceremonies. We've got to get started," Vesta said, noticing the clock. "They're going to begin in just a minute."

"Oh, I didn't realize. I'm almost ready," Misty said, rushing over to a mirror to fix her hair.

Front Row

"So what exactly will go on at this opening ceremony?" Ash wondered, leaning towards Brock.

"Well, the guidebook says that traditionally, the Mahogany Four does a little presentation of their own first, then the Governor of the Mahogany Valley officially starts the four-day celebrations off by toasting and drinking a glass of water from the Spe-Spear… suckle? Spearsuckle Springs. Apparently, the Spearsuckle Spring lies within the Mahogany Mountains," Brock explained.

"Sounds like one of those age-old traditions to me."

"Definitely. I think it's really interesting though. I love to see places with deep histories behind them keeping up traditions that can trace back centuries. It's uplifting to see the respect that the people have for their ancestors," Brock said genuinely.

"That's nice, Brock. Truly sentimental," Ash said with a small smile.

"I suppose you could call me a sentimental kind of guy," he replied, returning the smile.

"So what kind of performance do the Mahogany Four put on?" Ash asked.

"Well, it changes every year," Brock read out of the guidebook. "Apparently, the shows have ranged from musical numbers to ventriloquist acts to classical ballet."

"Classical ballet?"

"Yeah, twenty-four years ago, the Mahogany Four just happened to consist entirely of people trained not only in Pokemon, but in classical ballet. Unfortunately, that group only lasted a year, the rock trainer retired the year after the grass trainer joined in."

"So is the Mahogany Four grouping changing every year?" Ash wondered.

"No, not usually. In fact, that particular instance in conjunction with another two years before marked the most changes in the grouping within a five-year period. Usually, the Mahogany Four group stays the same for about five to seven years. The longest group to stay together was one hundred and ten years ago. The group stayed together for twelve years, until the water trainer of the group could no longer hold the position, due to old age," Brock supplied.

"Wow. How long has this group been together?" Ash asked.

"Only three. And this is also one of the only instances in which the group has been made up entirely of people of the same gender."

"Interesting," Ash drawled out, silently reminding himself that the timeframes were compatible so that there was a chance that the water trainer here was indeed Misty. "Why is it that the names of the Mahogany Four aren't posted anywhere for the public to see?" Ash asked suddenly, his voice angry.

"What do you mean?"

"How am I supposed to know what their names are?"

"I'm sure you'll find out, sooner or later, Ash," Brock assured him.

"I'm afraid I'll have to wait for the later," he mumbled.

Just as Ash finished his sentence, the curtain began to open to reveal a man in a tuxedo standing front and center.

"Good afternoon," the man started. "And welcome to the Mahogany Opening Ceremony! In keeping with tradition, we'll start the ceremony off with the Mahogany Four in a performance. This year, our four ladies would like to present to you something unique they've been working on. Please welcome them, singing the Andrew's Sister's classic 'Bei Mir Bist Du Schon.'" He hurried off to a side of the stage, and slipped behind the curtains and out of sight.

The lights went down on the stage and Ash could see signs of movement in the darkness. When the lights came back up, a small band was in place on the left of the stage, and four women, dressed in vintage 40's style dresses, were standing with their backs to the audience. Ash didn't notice the music beginning to play. All he saw was red. Fire-red hair. No, it wasn't fire-red, it was Misty-red. An orange-red. It was pulled up in a classic style away from her face. And when the four young women turned around, he only saw her. Ash was suddenly completely lost in her blue eyes, her Misty-blue eyes, and her Misty-red hair. The way she walked, the way she moved, and the way she sang, it had to be her. But wait, the way she sang? Misty never sang. She was terrible at it. He didn't care. People can learn how to sing, she probably did just that. It was her. Unmistakably her.

Misty looked down in the front row. She did her best to concentrate on the lyrics to the song, but it was awful hard with him staring at her, obviously stunned. She didn't know what to do. So she kept going. She kept singing, swaying, and smiling, all the while doing her best to keep her eyes off him. She couldn't help herself. It was him. Unmistakably him.

Ash couldn't put a finger on what he was feeling. Nervousness? Happiness? Anxiety? Excitement? He was certainly happy to see her, but what would he say to her? What would their battle be like? Should he apologize? As more and more questions popped into his head, Brock elbowed him.

"Ash, that red-headed girl. Is that who I think it is?" he whispered.

"Uh- huh. Sure is," Ash replied, at a loss for any other words.

"Wow, that's great. I can't believe how much she must have accomplished to get this far. And she's been here for three years! This same group's been together that long. Boy, did I ever underestimate her." He trailed off, looking for more information in the guidebook.

"That's our Misty," Ash said to no one in particular. "Always full of surprises."

On stage, Misty was becoming ill. She thought she would be able to handle a situation like this with ease, but she was obviously wrong. Her mixed emotions were jumbling up into a big ugly ball inside of her, and began to make her physically sick. It was a rare day that Misty would let anything bother her as seeing Ash did.

'Leave it to Ash to get under my skin,' she thought, as she watched Beryl sing the last solo section of the song.

The girls brought the song home beautifully, leaving the crowd enamored with them. The band stopped playing, and the Governor drank his spring water, but neither Ash nor Misty noticed. They just looked at each other. Misty did her best to look away, but each time she did, she could feel nothing but his gaze. Ash tried not to stare, but he couldn't seem to attach his line of sight to anything else. She was like a black dot in the middle of a blank page. The only fish in the middle of an empty sea. She was his focal point. And a most effective one at that.

"Ash?"

He ignored him.

"Ash!" Brock repeated, this time more forcefully.

"What? What?" Ash stuttered, suddenly disoriented.

"Ash, they're ending the ceremony. We're supposed to stand."

"Oh," He said, jumping to his feet. "Right."

"And now," the Governor announced, "I would like to officially open the Mahogany League Competition, along with Vesta, Beryl, Misty, and Silvia: the Mahogany Four, on this beautiful summer day of June the sixth. And with the public's permission."

"Ay!" the entire audience, minus a confused Ash, yelled.

"Let the battles begin!"

The crowd cheered ecstatically as the Governor signed a document on stage. The document was then passed to each of the four women.

"Saying 'ay!' when the governor asks the public's permission is also a Mahogany tradition," Brock explained.

"Uh-huh," Ash said, not looking away from Misty.

"Are you listening, Ash?" Brock whined.

"C'mon, Brock. I'm kinda busy."

"Sure," he spat as he shook his head. "Busy indeed."

"Well how would you react if you saw the woman you love for the first time in six years?" Ash hissed, doing his best to be heard over the crowds.

"Oh, so now it's love?"

"Oh, it's been love, Brock," Ash said simply, looking at Misty once again.

"Alright then," Brock said, looking towards the stage.

Misty could feel Ash's gaze burning into her. It took all her strength not to give in. The document that had been moving down the line was about to make its way into her hands. As it did, she let go for a moment and looked Ash's way. Brock stood there grinning at her, and Ash had a look of bliss plastered on his features. She couldn't help but smile as she scribbled her name onto the parchment. Smile still intact, she handed the page back to the Governor.

"That about wraps it up," he said. "Have a great time, everybody."

The Governor made his way out stage right, with the Mahogany Four close behind. They waved goodbye to the crowd before they slipped behind the curtains. Misty took one long look at Ash, then smiled, then left the stage.

"Well, now what?" Brock wondered aloud.

Ash looked around frantically for an easy out from the crowd. There were people everywhere, and no easy exit presented itself. Ash turned to Brock with a desperate look on his face. "I'll be back," he said quickly, then disappeared into the crowd.

He made his way to the back stage area, hoping to find Misty there somewhere. He was pushing through a group of people when he saw a flash of red a few yards in front of him. He called her name, but the woman turned a corner, slipping out of sight. He followed her around the corner as quickly as he could, but only found an empty hallway in front of him. A woman with short, dark brown hair emerged from a door, shutting it behind her. Ash locked eyes with her.

"Ash?" She asked, staring at him.

"I'm looking for Misty," he said quickly.

"I'm Beryl," she said, coming towards him. "I'm afraid you just missed her. She left with Silvia a few minutes ago. They both have matches at four and wanted to get ready as quickly as possible."

"But I thought I just saw her," he said, confused.

"Must have been your imagination," she said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, though."

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. How rude of me. It's an honor to meet you," he said, shaking her hand. "I was just so shocked to see her again. I guess it took me off guard."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it did the same to her."

"Has she told you…"

Beryl cut him off. "Sorry, Ash, but I've got to run. I'll see you at our match," she passed him with a smile and set off down the hall towards the exit.

"Nice to meet you," he called to her.

Without turning around, she gave him a wave, and exited the building.

"Damn," he said to no one in particular. He followed the route Beryl had used and exited the building. Brock was waiting for him there.

"Any luck?" he asked, handing Ash his bag.

"Nope."

"Sorry about that. What do you want to do then?"

"Well, I compete at four, and then I'll go find Misty," Ash said, a new wave of determination suddenly washing over him. "C'mon, Brock! There's training to be done!"

"Wait up, Ash!" Brock called, running to keep up with the young man. He chuckled at Ash's sudden energy and spunk. "Boy, some things never change."


	7. seven: miss you more

Moments Alone, Chapter Seven, "Miss You More"

By: Ellie

Author's note: Well, in honor of today's being Valentine's day, I've decided to finally post another chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!

Seven o'clock

Beryl slammed the door behind her. She tossed her black bag onto the floor and in her exhaustion, headed straight for the couch. As she sank into the cushions, the young woman sighed. Grasping the remote control, Beryl switched on the television set. She didn't hear Misty come in as she fixed her eyes on Angie Parrish.

"The first of the Mahogany League battles were held today here in the Mahogany League Complex. Water trainer Misty defeated Paul West in his first ever professional match with her Gyarados, and fire trainer Vesta was triumphant over Joanna Jett, though Jett's Jigglypuff put up a great fight. Rock trainer Beryl put up a tough fight over Constance Brown, but Brown's determination and skill eventually gave her the upper hand in the battle," Angie reported.

"Don't remind me," Beryl moaned. "That Constance... she gives me a headache."

"She's good, huh?" Misty questioned, standing above Beryl, behind the couch.

Beryl jumped. "Jeez!" she shrieked.

"Sorry," she said with a smile. She plopped down next to Beryl, and the pair redirected their attention to the television once more.

"...match with Ash Ketchum was quite a sight to see. Ash's quick thinking and cunning skills made it easy for him to win. It sure seems like we'll be seeing this young gentleman defeating the Mahogany League!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Gawd, Angie Parrish, could you be more star struck?"

Beryl laughed. "She does do her fair share of gawking over him, doesn't she?"

"Well, I'm not so sure she should be making comments about contenders like that. Isn't that reporting false news or something?" Vesta said, stepping into the room.

"Good point! Someone should remind her of that," Misty said with a smirk.

"Oh, hey, Vesta," Beryl smiled. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I haven't been here long. But I'm kinda hungry. Anyone up for some dinner?"

"You gonna cook?" Beryl wondered.

"No way, I'm beat. My 5:00 match left me pretty exhausted. Won, though," she said wearily.

"Yeah, congratulations! It looked like a tough one," Misty noted.

"Thanks, Myst. You won yours too, right?" Vesta smiled.

"Ok, ok, let's not rub it in now, ladies," Beryl said pitifully. "I'm to exhausted to move. If you do end up going out, would you bring me back something?"

"Sure, no problem. Anything for my poor defeated B. I'll pick you up something delicious," Vesta said, patting Beryl's head.

Beryl smiled up at her and replied, "Thanks, love."

"Uh-huh. Myst, you up for some dinner?" Vesta asked.

"Misty, you should probably go with her. Maybe you can get your mind off things," Beryl suggested.

"You're just trying to get rid of me," Misty grinned.

"Yes, well," Beryl said, returning the smile.

Misty grabbed her purse and headed towards the doorway, Vesta close behind.

"Oh, and Beryl," Misty called. "When Silvia gets back tell her that we went out, will you?"

"Your wish is my command," Beryl replied. She changed channels on the television as her friends shut the front door behind them. She snuggled farther into the couch, and pulled a blanket over her body as she decided on what to watch. She finally decided on an old black and white film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse.' She felt herself falling asleep when the doorbell rang.

Beryl jumped at the sudden noise, and looked at the clock. It had been ten minutes since Misty and Vesta left. She realized that she must have fallen asleep for just a few moments. The doorbell rang again.

"I'm coming!" She shouted, dragging herself towards the door. "Hold your horses!" Beryl drudged the heavy door open to find Ash Ketchum smiling up at her.

"Hello again," he said cheerily.

Beryl groaned. "Hello," she forced out.

"Who is it?" a voice from the kitchen called.

Beryl squinted. "Silvia?"

"Who is it?"

"When did you get home?" Beryl asked, dumbfounded.

"Just a minute ago," Silvia answered, approaching the door. She looked at the young man standing on the stoop. "Oh, you again. Come to rub your victory in my face?" she asked wryly.

"Hi, Silvia," he said; now feeling a little guilty for stopping by. "Sorry if I was a little rough on you."

She laughed out loud, then shook her head. "No, I was kidding. You were great today. You've got some incredible skill. I was really impressed."

He smiled, grateful. "That's nice of you to say."

"So can we help you with something, Ash?" Beryl asked, her eyes sleepy.

"Yes, actually, I'm looking for Misty..."

"No visiting till after your match!" Silvia said with a grin.

"What? Seriously?" Ash questioned in disbelief.

"No, I'm kidding. But she's actually not here," Silvia replied.

"Do you want to come in?" Beryl asked.

"It's ok," Ash replied. "Do you know where she went?"

"Yeah, actually, I ran into Misty and Vesta as they were heading out. I'm pretty sure they said they were going to eat at Ho-Jon's or something near there. You might be able to catch them. Do you know Vesta?" Silvia asked.

"No," Ash shook his head.

"She's blonde," Beryl supplied.

"Thin," Silvia added.

"Pretty."

"Every man's dream girl," Silvia trailed off. The girls looked at each other and shrugged.

"Not mine," Ash replied quickly.

"What?" Beryl mumbled.

"Misty's my dream girl," he said as he turned around and headed down the path. "Thanks, ladies!" he called.

"Any time," Silvia yelled.

Silvia and Beryl looked at each other.

"AWW!"

"That was solid cheese," Beryl said cryptically, then headed back toward the couch.

Misty sat in Ho-Jon's Sushi Bar and Restaurant, prodding her food. The warm light of the room caught her reflection in the dark windows that made up two of Ho-Jon's walls. She looked her reflection in the eye, realizing how distracted she must have looked.

"Misty, what's up? You look preoccupied," her friend Catherine pointed out as she put down her chopsticks. Cath had joined them only a few minutes before.

"Ah, nothing," Misty sighed.

"It's a long story," Vesta told her.

"You can tell me," Cath exclaimed.

"It's really not a big deal," Misty mumbled.

"So," Vesta started, trying to change the conversation. "Did you see the matches, Cath?"

"Yeah, the ones I saw were great. I got to see Silvia's and Beryl's. Tomorrow I'll be watching yours," she said with a smile. "They both did great, Beryl really came close to beating her opponent at one point. Oh, and that boy from Palette Town, Ash Ketchum? He was really great to see in action."

Vesta looked over to Misty, hoping for a reaction, but she didn't get one. "Sounds like he's really good. I look forward to battling him."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that one," Cath said, sipping her tea. A short silence set in, and Cath looked towards Misty again. "Seriously, Misty, you can talk about it if you want."

"Yeah..." Misty trailed off. It was silent again for several moments until Misty turned towards Vesta and spoke. "You know? I'm not doing anything about it."

"Huh?" Vesta looked at her friend, puzzled.

"I'm just sitting here. Doing nothing. How is anything going to happen here if I just sit and think all the time?"

Cath looked at them both, quizzically.

Misty got up. "I'm going to see him."

"Really? Do you think you can get into the Trainer's Compound?" Vesta asked, setting down her chopsticks.

"Sure, I mean, it's like Silvia said earlier, right? We make the rules," Misty said, pulling her napkin off her lap.

"I think the guard will stop you, Misty. They're pretty serious about the rules," Vesta said with a serious look on her face.

"I don't think he will. I'll just tell him who I am, he's got to let me through. I mean, what if it was an emergency?"

"I guess," she backed down. "Fine. Go. You want me to come with?"

Misty smiled. "No, but thanks, this is something I've got to do by myself."

Cath looked at them both in frustration. "What's going on?"

Misty laughed. "Sorry, Cath. Vesta will explain it to you. And hey, Vesta, don't forget B's dinner. She's in a mood." She grinned at them both, waved, and left the restaurant.

Vesta smiled, and took another bite of her meal. Cath looked at her, almost furious. Vesta looked up and laughed. "Oh! Sorry, sweetheart. Ok, I'll start from the beginning…"

Vesta explained to Cath the entire situation to Kath's intrigue. And just as the story was coming to a close, a young man came up from behind them.

"Uhm, excuse me..." the young man said, standing to Vesta's right. "Are you... Vesta?"

She looked up. "Yes, I am."

"I'm..."

"Ash Ketchum!" Cath said, excitedly.

"Yeah, that's me," he smiled gratefully, though he was slightly frightened. "I'm looking for Misty, and I was told she'd be with you."

"Fancy that," Cath said coyly. "You just missed her, Ash. She went looking for you."

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "That's great! Well, then again, it's not so great. I guess I missed her. Where did she go?"

"To the Trainer's Compound," Vesta replied.

"Trainer's Compound? But she's not allowed to go there... is she?"

"She's allowed to go anywhere she wants. Just because it's tradition, doesn't mean she's going to stay away from there," Vesta pointed out. "Misty doesn't give a damn. That girl's got a mind of her own."

"Tell me about it," he smiled fondly.

"Well, what are you standing here for?" Cath grinned.

"Huh?" he said.

"Go get her, you fool!" Vesta laughed.

"Oh, right!" he said as he was snapped out of his reverie. "If you ladies will excuse me, I have some very important matters to attend to."

"Go!" Cath and Vesta shouted together.

"Going!" he called out the door.


	8. eight: miss you most

Moments Alone, Chapter Eight: Miss You Most

By Ellie

Outside the Trainer's Compound,

Later that Evening

"I'm sorry, ma'am, it's just against procedure."

"Who made up what is procedure and what isn't? A member of the Mahogany Four?" Misty growled.

"Yes," the guard replied.

"_I_ am a member of the Mahogany Four!" she argued, flashing her ID card once again.

"I realize that, but I don't feel right letting you in without an official change to the rules. Especially at this time of night."

"Why should this be different than any other time? And what's more official than me?" Misty questioned. "And besides, I don't believe that this is an official rule. If it is, I've never seen it anywhere."

"It is."

"Do you have some sort of handbook, maybe? I'd like to see that in writing."

"Look, curfew is almost up, anyway. I'm sure we can work something out in the morning," the guard said, attempting to compromise.

Misty sighed. Her body was aching from exhaustion and she had a headache the size of a Snorlax. "Fine," she said, giving in. "May I leave a note for Ash Ketchum then?"

"Absolutely," the guard answered. She handed Misty a slip of paper and a pencil.

"Thanks." Misty quickly jotted down, 'Ash- We should talk, I'd love to see you. Drop by sometime. -Misty.' She folded it in half, wrote his name on the front, and handed it to the guard. "If you could get this to him as soon as possible, it would be much appreciated."

"No problem. Have a lovely evening, miss."

"Likewise," she said, though her expression was one of defeat. She plodded to her car and hopped in.

Within seconds, she was gone. And within a few more seconds, a rental car pulled in. Ash Ketchum stepped out. He rushed up to the guard station.

"Hey," he said in greeting. He was out of breath. "I'm Ash Ketchum. Did anyone stop by for me tonight?"

"Yes, actually. One of the Mahogany Four, in fact." The guard passed him the note. "She left this for you."

"So I missed her?"

"By just about a minute," the guard said with a nod.

"Thanks," he said, disappointed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," the guard said as she watched him walk into the Trainer's Compound, his nose buried in the note.

Ash returned to his room, excitement running through his veins like electricity. He hopped onto his bed, his eyes still glued to the note. He repeated each word in his head: 'Ash- We should talk, I'd love to see you. Drop by sometime. -Misty.' Her handwriting was beautiful. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen it. It was elegant and loopy, yet almost artistic. Just as he began to put the note on his dresser, there was a knock on his door.

"Ash, you there?" came a familiar voice from the other side.

"Yeah, Brock. Come on in," he replied.

The door opened to reveal Brock with a questioning look on his face. "Where were you all night?"

"I was looking for Misty."

"Did you find her?" he asked, his voice hopeful.

"No. I kept missing her. Who knew Misty could be so elusive?" he asked, rhetorically. "Actually, it seems that she went looking for me, too: this note was left for me at the guard station."

Brock read the note that was passed to him. As he scanned it, a smile crept on his face. "This is definitely a good sign, Ash!" He handed the note back to its rightful owner. "I know. I think I'll go to see her tomorrow morning. Maybe I can catch her before her match," he said, smiling.

"Well, good luck, Ash. I hope you can find her. I think I'm going to take a cue from Pikachu over there," he said, pointing to the snoozing Pokemon on the edge of the bed. "I'm off to bed."

"Goodnight, then."

"You should try to sleep, too. Seriously. I know you're excited, but you have a match tomorrow."

Ash chuckled, then looked up at Brock. "Sure thing," he said. "Sleep well."

"You too," Brock replied as he left Ash's bedroom.

Once the door was closed, Ash put on his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and got into bed. But before he turned off the lights, he read the note once more and smiled. Tomorrow he would see Misty.

As she pulled up into her driveway, Misty sighed. She parked the car and got out. The night had been a bust, and she was disappointed. She wasn't even sure if Ash felt the same way about her as she was realizing she felt about him. For all she knew, he could care less about her. Or he could even still be angry. She had no idea. But that look he had on his face when he saw her on stage during the opening ceremonies seemed like something more. She decided she needed to at least find out. She desperately hoped he would come to see her.

She stepped inside the Mahogany Four's house, finding four women seated on the white couches of the living room. Cath had come to visit. She had probably driven Vesta home from Ho-Jon's.

"Hey everyone, " Misty said, kicking off her sandals and setting down her purse.

"Hey Misty," a few of them said together.

"Did you find Ash?" Vesta asked, turning to face her.

Misty walked into the living room and fell into one of the large white couches, next to Silvia. "No," she said sadly.

"Well, he came here to find you, Misty. But you had already gone out to dinner," Beryl informed her, smiling.

"He did?" Misty asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, and he said something really sweet about you, too," Silvia said.

"What?" Misty asked, excited.

"Well," Beryl chirped, excitement evident in her tone, too. "We were describing Vesta for him so he could find you in the Sushi bar."

"You know," Silvia continued, "we said she was tall, thin, blonde, beautiful. Every guy's dream girl."

"Shut up!" Vesta protested.

"Let's not even go there, Vesta," Cath told her.

"Guys, guys. That's not the point! So anyway, Ash says, 'Not my dream girl. Misty is _my_ dream girl,'" Beryl finished with a sort of cross between a squeal and a squeak that struck Misty as uncharacteristic.

"Are you serious?" Misty questioned.

"Yeah, Misty!" Silvia exclaimed. "I was witness!"

Beryl cleared her throat, and slipped back into her normal tone. "It was quite cheesy, actually," she said, hoping to cover up for her earlier girly outburst.

"I don't believe it," Misty said, a smile beginning to form on her face. "Well, what happened? Did you guys see him at Ho-Jon's?"

"We did," Cath answered.

"We told him that you went to find him, but I guess you missed each other anyway," Vesta said.

"I guess," Misty sighed. "I went to the Trainer's Compound, but the guard was adamant on not letting me in. I was really mad. But I left him a note. I told him I wanted to talk."

"The guard didn't let you in?" Silvia snapped. "That's ridiculous. Can we fire guards?"

Misty laughed. "No, Silvia. It's all right. I don't think he was there anyway. But now I just wish I had stayed a little while longer."

"Oh, Misty," Vesta started. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll come here tomorrow. Especially if you left him a note. But I'm going to bed, my dears, I'm exhausted." She patted Misty's shoulder as she said, "Good night."

"I should probably go," Cath said. "I've got to get up early tomorrow."

"Good night, girls," Misty said, smiling at them. "And thanks."

Cath smiled at her as she slipped on her sandals and started out the door. "Bye," she said.

"See you later, Cath," Silvia said. "Good night, Vesta."

After the door had shut, and Vesta had gone up the stairs, Beryl stood up. "Want some cookies, Misty?" she asked. "I made some today."

Misty smirked. "You made cookies?"

"Well, the dough was pre-made. I'm no Martha."

"That's for sure," Silvia quipped.

"Shut it! I didn't see you making any cookies today! Pre-made dough or not!" Beryl responded.

"Okay, okay, okay. You win. Now get us some cookies," Silvia said with a smirk on her face.

"Yes, your majesty," Beryl said sarcastically as she bowed. "Your wish is my command."

Beryl disappeared into the kitchen. Misty laughed at their antics. "What kind of cookies did she make?"

"Pillsbury's chocolate chip ones, I think. I stole one earlier- they're pretty good!"

"Great, I could use a cookie," Misty replied.

A silence settled between the two women. After several seconds, Silvia spoke up: "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm fine," she said with a sigh. "I'm just confused. About Ash."

"Didn't expect this kind of reaction from him, did you?"

"I don't understand," she said, her face troubled. "He hasn't seen me in years. How does he even know I'm the same person?"

"He remembers what you were like back then, and he knows that you can't have changed too much. Which I know you didn't," Silvia argued.

"But he didn't have feelings for me back then! I was sure I was in love with him- and he just didn't understand. And being the child I was, I dealt with the issue as best as I knew how: I teased him. He took it the wrong way, of course. I'm sure he thought I hated him. He probably hated me."

"Well, that can't be true," Silvia said. "He's got feelings for you now. He can't have hated you, even if you teased him. What he's feeling now had to have grown out of something. There must have been something special about your relationship that you're not taking into account."

Beryl walked into the room with a tray of cookies and three glasses of milk. "What are we talking about?" she asked, setting the tray on the coffee table.

"Misty is doubting that Ash's feelings are genuine," Silvia explained.

"Ah, Misty! Trust me. The man's in love," Beryl said.

Misty picked up a cookie. "He hasn't seen me in _six years_, Beryl! How could he be?"

"Well, for one thing, you're gorgeous," Beryl started.

"Oh, stop."

"Come on, Misty," Silvia protested. "The last time Ash saw you, you had been going through puberty! You're an adult now, and you _are_ very pretty. You were special to him then, and you're still special to him now. There's really no point in speculating, either, is there? You'll find out everything straight out of his mouth sooner or later."

"She's right, Myst. And I'm sure once you talk to him, and reminisce with him, you'll fall in love all over again."

"You think so?" Misty asked, though she knew the answer.

"Yes!" Beryl and Silvia said together.

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow," Misty said. She took a bite of her cookie. "Hey, not bad, B."

"Yeah, thanks. 'Cept all the work was done for me."

"B! Don't doubt yourself. I can taste the love that you put into these cookies!" Silvia said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Misty smiled as her friends began to argue playfully. She thought about the day that lay ahead of her, and silently hoped that all would go well.


	9. nine: what cath dragged in

Moments Alone, Chapter 9: "What Cath Dragged In"

By Ellie, 2007

The Next Morning

Misty woke up to a cool breeze tickling the back of her neck. She opened her eyes slowly, and simultaneously realized two things: she'd left her window open last night, and today was supposed to be the day she saw Ash again. Upon realizing the second thing, she clamped her eyes shut as tight as she could manage and breathed deeply. Perhaps if she could induce sleep again, she'd be able to put it off another hour or two. But as she expected, sleep wouldn't come. What little sunlight that had been making its way into her room was vanishing fast, and with it an army of thick, black rain clouds rolled their way in. She got up to shut the window, and stared at the sky.

"Hope that's not an omen," she said to herself.

Before she could make it back to the bed, a knock jolted her back to reality. "Yeah?" she called.

"Can I come in?" It was Silvia.

"Sure," she said, plopping back down on the warm bed. Her wooden door opened to reveal her friend, dressed and ready for her day. Misty furrowed her brow and looked at the clock. It was only 7:30 am. "Why are you dressed?"

"Uh, the girls and I thought we'd do some shopping or something this morning," she said, though her tone of voice made Misty suspicious. Silvia sat down on the bed across from her.

"Seriously? But it's League Challenge week. Shouldn't we be sleeping in and resting in our spare time?"

Silvia nodded, then shrugged.

"You're just trying to empty the house so you're not here when Ash comes."

Silvia took in a deep breath. "You caught me," She gave Misty a broad smile. Misty's cold expression was unfazed. "We just thought it would be better if we weren't here."

Misty sighed. "Well, you're not making this any easier for me."

"I know, Myst, but you knew this wasn't going to be easy from the day we realized where Ash was headed. And our being here really isn't a good idea. This is something the two of you are going to have to settle on your own, without the help of any of us."

Misty nodded, and pulled her knees to her chest. "You're right, as always, Silvia."

"Someone has to be," she said with a smile. Misty looked at her and laughed.

"Won't you girls at least stay for coffee and breakfast?"

"Of course, sweetie. I've got cinnamon rolls in the oven and the coffee should be ready right about now. Get your slippers on and get your butt downstairs!" Silvia stood up and gave Misty a tap on the knee.

Misty smiled. "I'll be right down," she said, standing up.

Silvia left the room and shut the door behind her. Misty took a deep breath, and took one last look out the window. Rain was definitely on its way. She pulled her hair up, stepped into her slippers, and went downstairs. The breakfast was nice, the girls allowed her to think of other things, as they gushed about their upcoming matches and what they hoped to find on their shopping trip. The rolls were delicious, as they always were, and the friendship was comforting. Misty had almost forgotten about what was coming by the time they picked up their purses and got ready to leave. But as soon as the door shut behind them, the nervous feeling crept right back into her stomach.

It was nearly ten before the doorbell sounded. Just moments before, the rain had started, and she could tell that the ground was already soaked. Misty, who had now showered and dressed in jean shorts and a light pink sweater (she always felt cold in the air conditioning), was frozen when she first heard it. She set the coffee cup that she'd been nursing down on the table, and slowly got up. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door. It took all her might to turn the knob and pull it open. Allowing one final breath, she flung it open, face of surprise practiced and ready.

"Morning!"

To Misty's dismay, it was Cath at the door, huddling under a yellow and pink striped umbrella.

"Oh, Cath! Hi!" Misty said, hoping to make up for the look of disappointment she'd involuntarily made at seeing Cath. She took a step back and let her wet friend in, offering to take her coat with her open arm.

"Expecting someone else?" Cath asked as she disrobed.

"Not at all," Misty lied. "What can I do for you?"

"I can't find my cell, I thought I must have left it here."

"Oh, you might have! I haven't seen it though," Misty said, hanging up the umbrella and raincoat. "But look all you want. Do you want some coffee? It's from this morning, but it's still warm. I'm still drinking it."

"Sure, sounds nice," Cath said as she headed into the living room to search for her phone.

Misty prepared a cup for Cath, while silently cursing herself for getting so excited when she'd answered the door. He was going to come or he wasn't, and there was no use in her getting all worked up about it. "How do you take it?" Misty yelled to her friend.

"Black's fine," Cath yelled back. "Up, I found it!"

"That was fast," Misty said to herself. She set Cath's cup down on the kitchen table and began to wash the now empty coffee carafe. It took some scrubbing, but she got it clean pretty quickly. As she put the now crystal clear carafe away, she looked down at Cath's still untouched cup. "Cath, what are you doing? It's getting cold." Tossing the kitchen towel aside, she picked up the cup and marched out into the living room to find her friend. Passing the coat rack, she noticed the pink and yellow umbrella was gone, as well as Cath's raincoat. "Cath?" she called, confused. She walked into the living room, and her heart stopped so fast she almost dropped the cup.

"Misty," he said, turning around. He was taller than she expected, a good four inches or so taller than her. He had the body of a man now, not the scrawny boy she once knew. He was muscular, though not too much so, and his face was distinguished. On television, she'd seen recent photos of him, but the real thing, in person, was an entirely different can of worms.

"Ash," she breathed, barely making out the word. They stood, frozen in time, considering one another, and all Misty could wonder was what on earth he was thinking. And how on earth he could be standing in her living room, and how amazingly handsome he'd become. Her cheeks began to flush as she noticed how soaked he was. "You're soaked."

He looked at himself. "Yeah, I am."

"Here," she said, walking towards him with the still-hot cup of coffee. She passed it to him, their fingers touching slightly, delicately, electrically, as she did. She looked at him as he took the cup from her. "Where's Cath?"

"She let me in and left," he explained, taking a step back. She mirrored his action. He sipped the coffee. "Said she found her phone and that she thought she should leave."

"Huh," Misty said, picking up her own cup of coffee. "Nice of her to say goodbye," she said with a sarcastic, but not all together committal smile. Ash just kept staring at her. "Uh," Misty struggled, not knowing what to say to him, but knowing full well that something had to be said, immediately. The silence was unbearably awkward for her. "Why don't we find you something dry to wear? I can put those clothes into the dryer for you."

"Sounds great," he said, setting his cup down, "Lead the way."

She smiled and gave a nod, then led him up the stairs, wondering absentmindedly as she climbed them ahead of him if he was looking at her butt. At the top of the stairs, she pulled a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt out of the hall closet and pointed to the stacks of clothing. "This is our closet full of Mahogany Four merchandise. They send us loads every time they come out with a new design, and we never wear them. Especially when they're this big. Hopefully they'll fit you." She pointed down the hall and said, "That's the bathroom."

"Thanks, this will be perfect," he said with a smile.

"I'll be downstairs in the living room, just bring your wet clothes down with you." She offered the best smile she could muster at the moment, but her nervousness was making it all very difficult for her.

"Great. I'll be down in a sec."

She nodded, and headed downstairs. She looked at the hall clock. It was only 10:05. She thought for a moment that those five minutes had been some of the longest in her life. By 10:07, she was staring at Ash once again, now donning a big "Mahogany Four" logo across his chest.

"Here they are, soaked to the core," he said motioning to the load of wet clothes in his arms. "Where's the dryer?"

"Oh, I'll take them," she said, almost leaping off the couch. She took the load from his arms, and walked down the hall. "Take a seat," she called back to him.

Misty placed each article of clothing into the dryer (though not before reading each tag meticulously, she'd hate to ruin something). Before tossing in his jeans, she, by force of habit, checked to make sure there was nothing in the pockets. Just as she realized this might not be the right thing to do, she felt a bit of paper. She recognized it immediately to be the note she'd left him the night before. It was barely damp. Satisfied there was nothing left in the pockets, she started the dryer and went back to the living room.

"Found this," she said, passing him the note. She sat on the couch, across from the chair he'd taken claim of.

"Been rooting through my pockets, have you?"

She blushed. "Only by force of habit. My sisters used to leave candy in their pockets that would melt in the dryer, then get all over the clean clothes. It drove me crazy."

"I imagine it would."

"Is your coffee still hot?"

"It's fine, thanks."

"Hungry?"

"No."

"We've got some leftover cookies from last night…"

"Misty." He looked at her seriously, his gaze steady.

"Right, we need to talk," she said, her voice much weaker than she'd realized.

A little smile grew across his features. "You're so nervous," he said, setting his cup on the coffee table between them.

"I'm not nervous," she was pleased to hear her voice strong and clear again, and she straightened her posture.

"You are, I can tell," he said, his smile widening.

Misty frowned. "Did you come over here to fight with me?"

"No, no, I'm sorry," he said, "I guess some things never change. I'm perpetually a prat." Misty smiled at this. "Oh, good, I made you smile," he finished, getting up from his chair. He paced a little bit about the room. Misty wasn't sure what to make of him.

"I thought you wanted to talk," she said, "here I am, let's talk."

"Hey, you were the one who asked me here. Why don't you start?"

"There you go again," she said, smirking while rising to a standing position, hands on her hips in her signature position.

"God I've missed you," his voice was so unexpectedly breathy and full of emotion that the three or four steps he took towards her following his announcement seemed natural. He pulled her into an embrace, one she reciprocated fully.

"I've missed you too," she admitted, "so why have we been so infantile that we can't even manage to call each other every once and a while?"

He pulled back from the hug, still holding his arms around her tiny waist, and looked at her as if he were taking her in. "We lost each other, Misty. We screwed it all up royally. Rather, I screwed it all up royally. It was my fault, and I don't think I can ever really apologize to you enough for that mistake."

"Ash, it wasn't your fault, don't think that," the sort of lover-like embrace he'd been holding her in made her uncomfortable again. She sat down on the couch. He sat down next to her. "We were equally at fault. I was awful to you at times. So I'm sorry too."

"Don't be," he was looking at her with those brown eyes again, and Misty couldn't help but feel attracted to him.

"How about neither of us take the blame," she suggested. "We were just children after all."

He smiled. "Okay."

Any awkwardness Misty felt soon melted as Ash began to question her about the years they'd spent apart. He wanted to know everything, and let her know how impressed he was with her progress. She interviewed him similarly, hearing all about his journeys with Brock and the others, and before they knew it, they were all out of coffee.

"More coffee? Or tea?" she asked, eyeing his empty cup.

"Sure, I'll help you make it," he offered, standing up. He followed her into the kitchen.

"So what'll it be? Tea or coffee?" Misty rooted through the cabinets as Ash rinsed out their mugs. "Or… yup, I've got cocoa too."

"Oh, that'll be the one," he said, shutting off the faucet. "I'm never one to turn down a mug of cocoa."

Misty considered him as she prepared the cocoa. She _was_ happy to see him, and talking with him had been wonderful. And she was proud of him. He'd come so far from that brat of a child she left six years ago. He was smart, funny, and quick-witted. And handsome. A lot can happen in six years, she thought. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing, too.

"Misty, I have to be honest with you," he said, breaking her train of thought.

She looked at him curiously and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Letting you go was probably the worst mistake of my life," he started, but she cut him off.

"Oh, I don't know, you turned out all right."

"That's not what I mean," he said, venturing another step closer to her as she stirred the warming milk over the stove. She didn't look up. "It was awful after you left. Brock was so angry with me for letting you go… we were worried sick. We wondered if you'd be okay on your own, how you would get home. Those things hadn't registered for me when I was yelling at you, but not long after you left, they hit me like a train."

Misty was beginning to get angry. Could he really be asking for her sympathy, after all this time? What about her? Hadn't she been the one who had been left alone? To fend herself against a forest of wild Pokemon, then to manage a way home safely? Hadn't it been she who was yelled at for hours by her family upon returning home for doing something so risky? Who was he to be bringing this on her now? She dropped the wooden spoon onto the stovetop and turned to look at him.

"Sorry to hear that, Ash," her voice was poisonous, and the glare she gave him icy. "Sorry you and Brock had to suffer along with out me! Poor Ash Ketchum, left all on his lonesome with only _one_ traveling partner."

The color drained from Ash's face as he realized what he'd said. "I didn't mean it like that," he said softly, taking her hand in his. She ripped it away violently, and walked away from him towards the kitchen window.

"You know, I was just thinking how much you've changed, how proud I am of you... I was _completely_ off the mark, wasn't I? You haven't changed at all! You're still just that selfish brat, that _child_, that I traveled with six years ago. So is that why you came here, Ash? To make me feel sorry for you? To make me feel sorry that I left you that day? Sorry to disappoint you, Ash, but I'm realizing now that it was probably the _best_ decision I ever made in my life!" She turned her back to him and stared out the window as her eyes began to sting, and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Dammit," she breathed to herself.

She heard him move closer to her.

"Misty," he started in a whisper.

"Oh, save it," she snapped.

"Misty, come on," his voice a bit stronger.

"No!" she yelled as she turned around. "I will not _come on_. Get out." Her voice was cold.

"Misty, please, let me explain what I meant…"

"Get OUT!"

"NO!" he matched her forceful tone. "You've got it all wrong. That's not the reason I came here at all. In fact, that never once crossed my mind! You didn't let me finish."

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms against her chest. "I'll let you explain, but you'd better get to the point fast."

"Misty, what I was trying to say was that after you were gone, it didn't take me long to realize that the reason I felt what I was feeling was… because I'd fallen in love with you. I was too young to realize what love was and what it really meant, but I knew that you were special to me in a way that no other person had ever been. You were all I could think about for months, I was consumed with loss, and was sure I'd never see you again."

Misty's arms slid down to her side, and she inhaled deeply. She let him continue.

"So I channeled my energy and passion into training, and decided then that I would never let anything stop me from becoming the person I'd always dreamed of being. Later on, as I grew older, I realized how serious the mistake I'd made had been, when I began to understand love and relationships. I saw Brock fall in love in front of my eyes, and when he and I talked about it, I knew that it was the same feelings I'd experienced toward you. Recently I realized that if I stayed on the track I was pursuing, I'd never become the person I really wanted to be… because the person I really want to be is the man you're in love with. I was planning to go straight to Cerulean City after the Mahogany League."

Misty's tears had become uncontrollable, and any anger she'd experienced had completely left her. Without a word, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, holding onto him as if it was for her life. He responded fiercely to her kiss, stroking her hair, her arms, her back, taking over her body with the feel of his touch and the smell of his skin. She felt intoxicated, flooding with emotion and years of pent-up sexual frustration. And just as Misty began to think about how she never wanted the moment to end, he pulled away from her. She looked up at him in question.

"The milk's burning."

To be continued in Chapter 10! Hope you enjoyed this after all those years. I wanted to make it worth the wait! 


End file.
